General elections will be held in Papua New Guinea from 24 June to 8 July 2017.

Nominations will close on 27 April. The 111 members of the National Parliament are elected from single-member constituencies by preferential voting. West Papua has a particular interest in its “neighbour” which has long had two different and contradicting approaches towards its brothers and sisters on the other side.

While the official government stance has been that it recognizes Indonesian sovereignty, Papua New Guineans have always felt they could not betray their own “blood” and leave West Papua to its own devices.

These general elections will be a turning point, as it will be the last opportunity for Papua New Guineans to make a difference for their Melanesian “blood” in West Papua, before West Papuans become a minority in their own land. Five years from now, the demographic makeup of the other side will be very different if West Papua does not gain independence.

Indonesia will really be on PNG’s doorstep, physically, politically, militarily, financially, etc. West Papuans are the only ones who can tell the rest of Melanesia how it feels to have Indonesian on its doorstep. This is Melanesia: what you do is more important than what you say you will do or what you say you are doing. Certain candidates are seen as natural supporters of the West Papuan cause, unfortunately, Indonesia has found its way in their wallets and bank accounts…

We support all candidates that have truly stated and acted, and that continue to do so, in the interest of a Free West Papua and we wish them well in this campaign. We are two Nations under God, but one Island in Melanesia. God bless and protect this beautiful Island of ours.

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Ethics cannot be based upon our obligations toward [people], but they are complete and natural only when we feel this Reverence for Life and the desire to have compassion for and to help all creatures insofar as it is in our power. I think that this ethic will become more and more recognized because of its great naturalness and because it is the foundation of a true humanism toward which we must strive if our culture is to become truly ethical.